Inter-Faith Series, Sacrament of Holy Orders: Is celibacy in harmony with the priesthood?

Question

Please justify your answer.

Pastor Art, your answer is so pathetic.

rukkiding, I appreciate your answer.

Answer 1

While recognizing that celibacy is not demanded by the very nature of the priesthood, the Second Vatican Council affirmed ways celibacy is in harmony with the priesthood: Through celibacy, a priest, identifying himself with Christ, dedicates his whole life to the service of his Lord and the Church. Celibacy enables the priest to focus entirely on building up the kingdom of God here and now. Priests can "cling to Christ with undivided hearts and dedicate themselves more freely in Him and through Him to the service of God and of men". They are a sign in this world of the union of the Church to her spouse, Christ, and of the life in the world to come "in which the children of the resurrection shall neither be married nor take wives" (Lk 20:35-367).


Throughout the Church’s teaching on celibacy, three important dimensions must be kept in mind: First, celibacy involves freedom. A man when called to Holy Orders freely accepts the obligation of celibacy, after prayerful reflection and consideration. Having made that decision, celibacy does grant the bishop, priest or deacon the freedom to identify with Christ and to serve Him and the Church without reservation, condition, or hesitation. In reality, the priest is not torn between duties to his parish and duties to his family.

Secondly, celibacy involves sacrifice, and a sacrifice is an act of love. For instance, when a man and a woman marry, they make a sacrifice to live "in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health until death." They sacrifice to live a faithful love, no longer dating others or giving in to selfish pleasures. When they become parents, they sacrifice to support the raising of children. Decisions of love always entail sacrifice.

Finally, celibacy requires the grace of God to be lived. Repeatedly, celibacy is seen as a gift of the Holy Spirit. However, this gift is not just to keep one’s physical desires under control or to live as a bachelor; this gift is being able to say "yes" to our Lord each day and live His life.

Sadly, in our world, many people cannot appreciate the discipline of celibacy, whether for the clergy or anyone else. We live in a society where the media bombards us with uncontrolled sexual imagery. If some people cannot appreciate the values of virginity before marriage, fidelity in marriage, or sacrifice for children, they cannot begin to appreciate anyone-- man or woman-- who lives a celibate lifestyle in dedication to a vocation.

In the midst of the present scandal in the Church where some priests have violated their vows of celibacy and have harmed children, some individuals have proposed that a married clergy would reduce if not eliminate the occurrence of such acts. Actually, the majority of cases involving child abuse (incest, pedophilia, etc.) occur within a home among relatives. A person suffering from such a sickness is not going to change because he no longer has to be celibate. Moreover, if the Church did change the celibacy requirement, then the next scandal for the press to focus on might be adultery or divorce among the clergy. Changing the requirement is no panacea to the problem.

Nevertheless, as a Church, we should be thankful to the clergy, and the men and women religious, who have made the total sacrifice of themselves out of love to serve our Lord and the Church. Sadly, the media seldom highlights the good work performed by so many dedicated clergy, and men and women religious.

Answer 2

I'm not sure what you mean by "in harmony" with the priesthood. It is currently part of Holy Orders and the vows Catholic priests take when they become priests and for those who honor their vows, I would say that to a great extent, celibacy is in harmony with the priesthood for them, though I would imagine that all priests struggle with it from time to time.

Do I think it should be part of the requirements to be a priest? No, I don't. I think each should have a choice. But there's not much anyone can do about it at this point, especially when we have a Pope who's OKing the Latin Mass again and causing disharmony with Catholics and other Christians.

I'm not sure I answered your question, though.

Answer 3

It can be...and I've seen it work...but it is not always so (just read the newspapers and see what I mean) - and a lot of men with a Holy Vocation to ministry lose out because of this "doctrine".

Most Priests were married - as was the "First Pope", St. Peter. St. Paul said that Bishops "should be the husband of one wife".

Although I know of some very wonderful and Holy celibate Priests...and I understand the Roman Catholic position...it would not be something I could do - and I would not have the ministry I have today as a Priest of God if that was the only choice.

Answer 4

I, being a WASP, don't think so. The original Apostles were married. The question for me is: does marriage detract from the priesthood, or would it enrich it?

Answer 5

First in the New Testament all genuine Christians are considered Saints and we are a nation of priests as well.

Second, in the Bible we are told that in the latter days some would teach the doctrines of demons.

Examples of the doctrines of demons would be forbidding people to get married.

You can read about that in 1 Timothy chapter 4.

Pastor Art

Answer 6

Holy Orders: Holy Orders is a Sacrament by which bishops, priests, and other ministers of the Church are ordained and receive the power and grace to perform their sacred duties.

Biblical references: Acts 20:28; Lk 22:19; Jn 20:22; Acts 6:6; Acts 13:3;
Acts 14:22; 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6; Tit 1:5


While recognizing that the nature of the priesthood does not demand celibacy, the Council affirmed ways celibacy is in harmony with the priesthood: Through it, a priest, identifying himself with Christ, dedicates his whole life to the service of his Lord and the Church. Celibacy enables the priest to focus entirely on building up the kingdom of God here and now.

Priests can “cling to Christ with undivided hearts and dedicate themselves more freely to Him and through Him to the service of God and men” They are a sign in this world of the Church’s union with her spouse, Christ, and of the life in the world to come “in which the children of the resurrection shall neither be married nor take wives” (Lk 20:35- 37).

Pope Paul VI highlighted these themes in his encyclical “Sacerdotalis Caelibatus” (1967), which was written at a time when some people questioned the need for mandatory celibacy. The Holy Father pinpointed three “significances” or senses to celibacy: the Christological, the ecclesiological and the eschatological. In the Christological sense, a priest must look to Christ as the ideal, eternal priest. This identification permeates his whole being. Just as Christ remained celibate and dedicated His life to the service of His Father and all people, a priest accepts celibacy and consecrates himself totally to serve the mission of the Lord. This total giving and commitment to Christ is a sign of the Kingdom present here and now.

In the ecclesiological sense, just as Christ was totally united to the Church, the priest through his celibacy bonds his life to the Church. He is better able to be a minister of the Word of God , listening to that Word, pondering its depth, living it and preaching it with whole-hearted conviction. He is the minister of the sacraments, and, especially through the Mass, acts in the person of Christ, offering himself totally to the Lord. Celibacy allows the priest greater freedom and flexibility in fulfilling his pastoral work: “(Celibacy) gives to the priest, even in the practical field, the maximum efficiency and the best disposition of mind, psychologically and affectively, for the continuous exercise of a perfect charity. This charity will permit him to spend himself wholly for the welfare of all, in a fuller and more concrete way” (“Sacerdotalis Caelibatus,” No. 32).

Finally, in the eschatalogical sense, the celibate life foreshadows a freedom we will have in heaven when perfectly united with God as His child.

The Code of Canon Law reflects these three “significances” in Canon 277, which mandates clerical celibacy: “Clerics are obliged to observe perfect and perpetual continence for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven and therefore are obliged to observe celibacy, which is a special gift of God, by which sacred ministers can adhere more easily to Christ with an undivided heart and can more freely dedicate themselves to the services of God and mankind.”

Throughout the Church’s teaching on celibacy, three important dimensions must be kept in mind. First, celibacy involves freedom. A man when called to Holy Orders freely accepts the obligation of celibacy, after prayerful reflection and consideration. Having made that decision, celibacy does grant the bishop, priest or deacon the freedom to identify with Christ and to serve Him and the Church without reservation, condition or hesitation.

Secondly, celibacy involves sacrifice, and a sacrifice is an act of love. For instance, when a man and a woman marry, they make a sacrifice to live “in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health until death.” They sacrifice to live a faithful love, no longer dating others or giving into selfish pleasures. When they become father and mother, they sacrifice to support the raising of children. Decisions of love always entail sacrifice. And so it is with the clergy. To be a priest means to make a sacrifice of oneself to Christ for the good of His Church. The priest sacrifices being married to a woman and having his own family to being “wedded” to Christ and His Church and serving their needs as “father.”

Finally, celibacy requires the grace of God to be lived. Repeatedly, celibacy is seen as a gift of the Holy Spirit. However, this gift is not just to keep one’s physical desires under control or to live as a bachelor; this gift is being able to say “yes” to our Lord each day and live His life.

Our Lord presented celibacy as a legitimate lifestyle not only by His very life, since He never married, but also in His teaching. When Our Lord emphasized that marriage was a covenant between husband and wife and thereby prohibited divorce and re-marriage (cf. Mt 19:3-12), He concluded, "Some men are incapable of sexual activity from birth; some have been deliberately made so; and some there are who have freely renounced sex for the sake of God’s reign." Traditionally, our Church — as cited in the Catechism (no. 1579) — points to this "free renunciation of sex for the sake of God’s reign" as a basis for celibacy.

Nevertheless, in the early Church, clerical celibacy was not mandated. St. Paul in his first letter to St. Timothy wrote, "A bishop must be irreproachable, married only once, of even temper, self-controlled, modest, and hospitable" (3:2) and "Deacons may be married but once and must be good managers of their children and their households" (3:12). However, one should not erroneously construe this teaching to mean that a bishop, priest, or deacon had to be married; St. Paul admitted that he himself was not married (I Cor 7:8).

Answer 7

It is...except in the presence of alter boys.